Chapter 5

Acceptance

Hermione looked up from her task, the sound of giddy laughter filtering into her office from the hall. It was Valentine's Day, which meant that all of the witches in the ministry had been flaunting their hand-delivered bouquets and boxes filled with expensive chocolates as if it were a competition. It annoyed her to no end and after insisting that Harry didn't need to get her anything for the silly holiday, which of course he ignored, she had begged him not to send anything to her office.

Lavender Brown's simpering voice carried down the hall and Hermione's eyes rolled so hard she feared they may get stuck. A bark of laughter brought her attention back to the door and she grinned at her boyfriend.

She watched as he got that mischievous gleam in his eye and he ran his hand up the door frame so his arm was above his head as he leaned on it.

"Hello, Hermione," he purred, "what brings you here?"

She bit her lips, fighting the urge to laugh as he mimicked the blonde on his way in the door, pretending to flip his hair. He closed the door behind him, never breaking eye contact and walked sensually toward her desk swishing his hips the entire way.

"How silly of me, you work here, so of course you'd be here. Such a nice desk you have, Hermione...so big." He exaggeratedly batted his eyelashes and he leaned over her desk poking out his chest.

Hermione had tried to keep a straight face but as soon as he'd leaned over her big desk as if showing off the most glorious set of tits out there, she broke and her loud laughter filled the room. "Harry James, you are terrible! Tell me she isn't being that ridiculous."

"She's a nightmare. You should have seen Ron's face when he showed up. Poor bloke is trapped at Seamus' desk. Should we go save him?"

"Nah, let him suffer for a bit longer."

Harry walked over and took her hands, pulling her up from her chair and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You've got an evil streak, little love," he said leaning down to leave a chaste kiss on her lips. "Hi there."

She snorted and hugged him tighter, "did you miss me, Daddy?"

"Always," he said and leaned down to give her a proper kiss. "Have you been a good girl?"

"Of course," she said haughtily causing him to chuckle and swat her arse.

"Alright, lets rescue Ron and then I'm taking you on a ridiculously romantic date."

She groaned and rested her chin on his chest, he better not be taking her to Madam Puddifoot's...it had been a joke between them that he'd never gotten to take her while at Hogwarts and was just waiting for the perfect opportunity.

He just laughed, giving nothing away and pulled her out into the hall by the hand.

Their relationship had been well received from all of their friends and family. As they suspected, they were the only ones who had been blind to the love they'd held for each other for so long.

It had only been a month since they had become a couple but she felt like they'd been together for much longer. Everything had just slipped into place for them and she was happier than she had ever been.

They walked hand in hand down the hall to the Auror offices and saw Ron standing beside Seamus. The latter was struggling to hold in his laughter at the panicked look on his friend's face. Ron's eyes darted to the door and when he noticed they were there relief washed over him. He quickly made his escape and met the two of them in the hallway.

"Hey, mate! What brings you here?" Harry called out to his approaching friend.

"Had a delivery for Seamus, I can't believe he hasn't popped the question yet," Ron said brightly and picked up his pace, trying to evade the pouting woman following him.

Ron and Harry talked on their way down to the first floor, apparently, Ron had a date with Susan Bones that evening and was rather nervous about it.

"So what are the two of you up to then? Got any special plans?" The redhead asked.

Harry looked down at her, his eyes full of promise and gave her a lopsided smile. She felt her cheeks begin to burn and looked down at her feet biting her lip.

"The pair of you are so in love it's disgusting. I've changed my mind, I don't want to know."

Harry laughed and followed their friend from the lift and Hermione took his hand, walking beside him once again.

They waved goodbye to Ron before Harry pulled her toward the floo.

As they arrived in her living room, Harry pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"I'll be back to collect you in an hour, little love and I expect you to be ready to walk through the floo when I get here."

"Yes, sir," she said with a salute as he turned her and nudged her toward her bedroom.

She released a happy sigh as she pulled her outer robes from her shoulders and kicked off her heels. It was nice to finally be off work and she was very much looking forward to whatever Harry had planned. He had been incredibly sweet as they learned this new dynamic together and he never failed to amaze her. Somehow he always knew just what she needed.

As she entered her bedroom she let her hair down from the tight bun she had worn all day and massaged her scalp. She made her way into the bathroom, not bothering to turn on her bedroom light and hopped into the shower.

After scrubbing every inch of her skin and washing her hair, she stepped from the shower and dried herself before drying and pulling her hair into a french braid. She decided to only apply a coat of mascara and light shade of lipstick knowing Harry preferred her to look natural and turned to go into her bedroom.

"Now...what am I going to wear?"

She began walking toward her chest of drawers to get her underthings when she stopped. Her lips curled into a delighted smile and she walked to the wall to flip the light switch on before walking over to the bed where her gift was laid out.

She rolled her eyes, she should have known really, he seemed to love dressing her and it seemed tonight was no exception. There was a set of satin underthings which she pulled on as she admired the rest of her ensemble.

He had chosen a simple shift dress, the deep plum color was lovely and the fabric was light and flowy. She carefully unbuttoned the back of the dress and pulled it on smoothing her hands down her sides.

She slipped her feet into the black heels he'd chosen and sighed in relief at the cushioning charm he had placed on them.

With another quick glance at her watch, she strode into the bathroom to check her appearance in the mirror. She was just about to turn to get her coat when Harry came into the room and stood behind her. He wore a wicked smile as his eyes trailed her figure and she smiled at his reflection.

"Hello, beautiful girl," he said as he reached up and buttoned her dress.

"Hi," she breathed, "thank you for the beautiful outfit, I love it."

"You're welcome, love. Are you ready?"

She nodded and followed him out of the bathroom, where he helped her into her coat.

"So where are you taking me?" She asked as she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck and gave him her most innocent smile.

"Nice try, little love," he said and laughed at her pout. "You're adorable, but I won't tell you. I don't want to ruin the surprise."

She huffed but accepted his answer, in truth she really didn't want to ruin the surprise either.

Harry snickered at his witch, they had just landed in Hogsmeade not far from Madam Puddifoot's and were walking toward the dreaded tea shop hand in hand. He knew she had convinced herself that he was taking her there and caught her glowering as they got closer.

"Harry…"

"Mmm?"

She was quiet a moment before a sigh escaped her lips and she looked up at him with a resigned smile.

"Never mind."

He was pleased that she decided to let it go. Though she still fought him on occasion when it came to submitting in their daily life, they were learning together and made progress every day.

Harry smiled and leaned down to drop a kiss to her temple. "Good girl, don't worry 'Mione, I promise we're going to have a good time."

"I know, but you know how I am about not knowing things." she said as she wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him.

They walked a little further and when he slowed she looked up at him in confusion, as they had not gone to the tea shop. He turned her so that she was facing him and took her hands in his.

"As you know, I have been mad for you since we were kids. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to take you on a cheesy date to Hogsmeade."

He watched her smile grow at his words and released her hands to open the shop door.

They stepped over the threshold of Honeydukes and were immediately enveloped in the smell of chocolate and sweets. The shop was relatively empty so they strolled the aisles slowly, adding their favorite treats to the basket Harry carried.

After buying enough sweets to last a year Harry led her back out onto the street and began walking toward her favorite store waiting for her to realize where they were headed. He didn't have to wait long as she squealed and bounced in place beside him.

"Harry! Oh, I haven't been here since Hogwarts!"

He pushed the door to Tomes and Scrolls open and followed her into the shop. He watched in amusement as she stopped and with her eyes closed, inhaled deeply. For the next hour, Harry followed his witch as she browsed the many shelves of books. She had tried to argue when he told her to get what she wanted but he waved her off and he had several books in his arms by the time they reached the counter.

With their purchases shrunk and pocketed, Harry took Hermione's arm and guided her to their last stop, the Three Broomsticks. The warmth of the pub surrounded them as well as the sounds of boisterous laughter and they headed toward an empty table.

After he helped her from her coat, Harry sat across from Hermione and they smiled at the approaching waitress. Harry gave the girl their order and when she had gone, took Hermione's hand. She was distracted by the other patrons, the pub was lively and exactly the opposite to the frilly tea shop down the way.

Their food arrived not long after, a large basket of fish and chips for them to share and a butterbeer for each of them. They took their time, enjoying the atmosphere and the comfort food while talking about nothing of importance. Harry grinned at the little witch across the table, life with her was comfortable and easy and he was anxious for the rest of their evening.

"What do you mean, Harry? You've already done so much! Tonight has been perfectly lovely, you don't need to do anything more."

"Little love, are you going to argue with me or be a good girl and put on this blindfold?" His voice was soft but stern and he nodded as she closed her eyes. He was careful as he covered her eyes with the soft black fabric and made sure it was secure.

"Good girl, now I'm going to Apparate us to our destination and you are not to remove the blindfold until I say it's alright. Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

She felt his arms as they wrapped around her waist and he turned on the spot. When they landed once again on solid ground, she took a deep breath. The smell of flowers permeated the air and as she took a step to the side she felt her heel sink into the earth. It was obvious they were outside but she had no idea where they could be and she desperately wanted to see where Harry had taken her.

His hands traveled softly up her back and neck until they reached the knot holding the blindfold in place. As he let the fabric fall, anticipation filled her and she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for permission to look.

"Alright little love, open your eyes."

The first thing she noticed was the thousands of twinkle lights hanging from the trees to light the area. They were in a large garden, flowers of all kinds grew in intricate beds and large trees grew along the back perimeter of the space.

Directly in front of her, under the lights, was a large blanket and a few floor pillows. There was a bottle of wine and two glasses off to the side as well as a wrapped box. Harry, who had made himself comfortable on the blanket while she looked around waved her over.

"This is beautiful. Where are we?"

"We're at my family home. After I returned to England I went to Gringotts to get my vaults in order and was told of Potter Manor. Dumbledore had apparently kept many things from me while grooming me for his purposes. This house was one of them."

She took in his hurt expression and placed her hand on his arm, "I'm sorry, Harry."

He shook his head and gave her a chaste kiss, waving off her concern. He poured them each a glass of wine and she accepted the glass from him. She watched and tried to conceal her worry as he put the wine to the side and turned back to her, a smile on his face.

"Over the last few years I've managed to clean it up and redecorate some of the rooms. It's just much more house than I have needed."

"So, you won't be moving into the manor?"

He looked unsure of his answer and she felt her brows crease at his behavior. He seemed nervous and she watched as he took a deep breath and reached for the small box behind him.

"Well, that depends...I have one more gift for you to open."

She looked at the box in his outstretched hand and bit her lip before she took it from him. When her eyes met his, she saw the anxiety he hid so well on the surface and her heart clenched. Wanting to ease his fears she gave him a shy smile and turned her attention back to the box in her lap.

Her fingers gently tore away the wrapping and lifted the lid from the box. Nestled inside the box was a delicate gold chain, at the end of either side of the chain, there were two gold circles linked together, one bigger than the other. Her eyes widened and darted back to Harry's in shock. She looked back down at the necklace which was unassuming to most, but held deeper meaning to her and others living the way they did.

"Harry…" Her eyes filled with tears as she absorbed the meaning of the gift and her heart filled with joy.

"'Mione, I love you. I know we've only been in this relationship for a month but you're it for me. You're all I have wanted since I was sixteen, you're the only person I can count on fully. My entire life has changed for the better in the last month, having you to come home to every day has been...everything. I want to spend my life taking care of you and making you smile. Will you grow old with me?"

Tears fell freely from her eyes as he spoke, each word bringing her more happiness than the last. When his proposal was finished, she threw herself into his arms and nodded into his shoulder.

"Yes, oh Harry I love you so much."

When she sat up he took the box from her lap and tapped the large circle. She watched, fascinated as the circle opened and he pulled the small circle away from the other. He looped the chain around the back of her neck and replaced the small circle to link with the large one, then tapped the large circle once more. The large circle closed and the two were linked once again at the base of her throat.

"By accepting this collar, you are agreeing to be mine. You cannot remove it unless I remove it from you."

She nodded, wiping away her tears, "I'm yours, Daddy. Forever. I never want you to take this off."

"One day, I'm going to do this again with the most ostentatious ring I can find. Then we'll be bonded together by magic in front of our friends, but until then I wanted you to be mine in this way."

She choked out a watery laugh feeling happier than she had in a very long time, and crawled into Harry's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck leaving light kisses to his skin.

"Daddy...I need you."

She felt the rumble of laughter in his chest and knew without looking that he wore a wicked grin.

"Is that so?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well I think you've been such a good girl for me this week, you deserve a reward. I'll grant you one wish, anything you want little love."

She quietly thought about everything she wanted him to do to her and shivered.

"I just want you..."

He was quiet, clearly not expecting her answer but only a moment later he pushed her forward to sit in front of him.

"As you wish," he said and he stood.

She watched as he stood, towering over her and the warmth in her belly grew. Godric, she loved this man.

"Stand."

She did as she was told and waited for instruction. Her belly fluttered with nervous anticipation as he brought the blindfold over her eyes once again. His hands moved from tying the knot to trail down the back of her neck and made goosebumps rise on her arms.

His lips hovered over her shoulder slowly moving to where it met her neck, his breath warming the skin as he went and she yelped in surprise when he bit down hard enough to mark.

His fingers worked the little button at the back of her neck through its hole and he slowly lifted the dress over her head. She groaned at the feeling of the fabric lightly trailing over her sensitive skin.

"As beautiful as you look in these knickers and that bra love, I think it's time they go. Remove them."

She quickly slid the satin from her legs and unhooked her bra so it fell from her shoulders. Standing completely bare before him and not being able to see his face was frustrating, but she straightened her posture and waited for his next command.

She felt his finger trail down the outside of her breast, along her ribs and down her stomach. He stopped before he reached where she needed him most and she fought the whimper that tried to escape her lips.

He continued to touch and kiss her body, avoiding her center as well as her breasts knowing it would drive her crazy with want and she inwardly cursed him for it. When his hands roamed dangerously close to her core, and he instead stroked her thigh she growled in frustration. She heard his chuckle and could no longer hold back.

"Please, Daddy! Please stop teasing me!"

He didn't respond right away, in fact, she couldn't feel his body heat at all and realized he must have walked away. She startled when she felt him at her back and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I got you another gift, but I wanted this one to be a surprise."

As he spoke, his right hand moved down and she waited, praying he would finally touch her. What she did not expect was the unknown spell he whispered or the feeling of intense vibration on her clit. She squealed in surprise and threw her head back on his shoulder as the pleasure the vibrations gave her coursed through her body.

He held her tight, his arms keeping her right where he wanted her. She squirmed in his arms and her moans soon turned into frantic pleas to be allowed to come. She didn't think she could hold it back if she tried and thanked Merlin when he told her to let go. She came with a scream and collapsed in his arms.

Still holding her upright she felt Harry shift behind her and she gasped loudly when he slammed into her. One hand held her hip while the other wrapped around her neck and she grabbed onto his arm to keep from falling.

"Fuck little love, you feel so good. You make me so happy. Such a good girl."

She warmed at his praise and as he pounded into her harder she could feel herself coming close to the edge once again. She screamed his name, unable to form the question and through clenched teeth, he commanded her to come before falling over the edge with her.

They sank to the ground slowly, Harry holding her in his arms as they caught their breath. When he had calmed his heart rate, Harry reached for his wand and cleaned them both before folding the blanket over them. He could tell that Hermione was close to sleep and kissed her shoulder.

"I love you, witch," he whispered.

She giggled lightly and turned in his arms to snuggle into his chest.

"I love you too, though you're wearing far too many clothes."

"You'll be the death of me you know. You're going to have to give me a minute."

She hummed and looked up at him before remembering where they were. "Harry, you never did say if you were moving into the manor."

"Ah, well that depends...would you like for us to move into the manor?"

She sat up on her elbow, her eyes wide. "You want me to move in with you?" She asked excitedly and watched as he rolled his eyes at her.

"Of course I do, I've just proposed marriage to you, Hermione."

He was shaking his head and she raised her eyebrows. "Well then, I suppose you should show me to my new home," she said haughtily and he barked a laugh.

They stood and Hermione summoned all of her clothes before Harry scooped her into his arms and apparated them into their new bedroom.

Harry woke the next morning to the sun shining through the large windows in the master suite. Hermione lay on her stomach, her hair spread over her pillow partially covering her face.

He turned to face her and ran a finger down her spine until it met the sheet covering her lower half. Slowly her eyes opened and she stretched out before smiling and scooting into his arms.

They laid there a while longer, neither willing to leave the other just yet and spoke quietly about the night before. Harry watched as Hermione's fingers went to the chain and she lovingly ran a finger over the circles that represented them.

"Thank you, Harry," she spoke softly.

"What for, love?"

"For loving me...all of me, for taking care of me when I was too stubborn to take care of myself."

"You don't have to thank me for that 'Mione. You deserve to be loved, you deserve to be taken care of and I plan to do both happily for the rest of our lives."

She beamed at him and he leaned down for a kiss.

"How about we get up and find some breakfast, then I'll give you a proper tour of our home little love."

After finding clothes, he led her down the stairs and his mind filled with images of many mornings like this one.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Ravaging you on these stairs, " he wiggled his eyebrows.

She burst into laughter, "Harry James!"

"What?"

"I love you."

"Love you too 'Mione."